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Academia
Solutions and Initiatives Regarding the Human Exploitation Problematic behind Fast – Fashion
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Laura M. Rodriguez
Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas
How much money would you spend on a T- shirt? Most people would probably say a number between five and 30 dollars, but what if, even though stores sell products forsuch a low price, the process of manufacturing them involves (what many people call)
Mountains of garments. Taken from Gabriella Street
modern slavery? Well, that is the issue of fast fashion; according to Neelis (2018) “Fast fash- By using low quality materials, fast ion is simply a term used fashion brands can assure that shopby fashion retailers to pers are given a low pricedescribe clothes that are inspired by recent style trends seen on celebrities and on the runway for an affordable price for the average consumer”. However, the reality behind this industry can be summarized in two words: human exploitation. To make sure that a brand gets to have the lowest price for a garment in the market, many people in countries like China or Bangladesh are working for long hours; some get sick and might even die for the shoppers to be happy with the sales. A lot of people around the world are being abused because of fast fashion, but there are several actions that we can take in order to counter this phenomenon, such as recycling and reusing clothes, acquiring high quality clothing and buying from brands which treat their employees fairly. First of all, both recycling and reusing clothes are really useful methods to counter the fast fashion movement, turning it into slow fashion. What fast fashion promotes in our society is to constantly shop and change our wardrobes quickly, but recycling and reusing clothes instead of getting rid of them can change the general view. “Textile recycling is the process by which old clothing and other textiles are recovered for reuse or material recovery” (Leblanc, 2018). Textile recycling
is as simple as taking the clothes you do not use anymore to garment recycling centers (which you can find nowadays even in stores such as H&M). It is good not only for the environment, but also for slowing down the processes of garment making, giving a longer utility time to the clothes, valuing more the process behind them and thus stopping the main business idea behind fast fashion, which is responsible for the workers being pushed to work under poor work conditions. Blanchard et al. (2015) give some suggestions regarding this solution which include buying vintage, swapping clothes with people you know and donating your clothes responsibly.
Another alternative would be acquiring high quality clothing. Even though the price of the clothes in fast fashion stores looks attractive, there is a reason why it is so low: bad quality. By using low quality materials, fast fashion brands can assure that shoppers are given a low price. Besides, they guarantee that the shopper will need to buy new garments as soon as the other ones will be damaged in a short period of time. In contrast, when you buy high quality clothes, even though you may feel that you are paying more money for each garment in comparison to what you used to pay before, you will be able to see that by the time the fast fashion clothes would be ready to be thrown away, the high quality ones will still be in a good condition; and in the end, you will end up paying less because your clothes will last longer, as Howell (2013) said “Good quality rides over to everything, though. It can be apparent in something like a cotton T-shirt that has faded well – it doesn’t have to be expensive”. In addition, when you invest in quality garments, you are investing in the high-quality processes behind them too, as well as in a better treatment for the people that made your clothes.
An additional strategy is buying from brands which treat their employees fairly. This is the main point of countering the issue of
human exploitation in this field. Nowadays, anyone with access to the Internet can easily look for slow fashion brands, contact local entrepreneurs and even see the evaluation in terms of transparency of many places where he or she wants to buy clothes. There are many tools and apps, such as Good on You, which have directories with thousands of brands rated by professionals. Regardless the tool choice, the most important part is being aware we can help the people being exploited from the place where we are at the moment. Small choices, like looking for brands that guarantee the fulfillment of the workers’ rights, can make big differences. “You re-shape the fashion industry – the lives of its producers, its workers – every time you buy or dispose of clothing” (Blanchard et al., 2019).
All things considered, there are many ways in which we can be part of the change regarding this issue. This is a call to be more aware of our shopping habits, taking into account every aspect involved (the quality, the price, the place where you shop, etc.), and acquiring knowledge about the hidden reality behind many garments. Before shopping, think about the importance of your role and the position you want to take. We could say that we are the ones that state the rules of what is allowed or forbidden in this industry, as the brands depend on us to be successful; so, if we want a change, then we can raise our voices and rewrite what we have accepted before by proposing something new. “Done differently, the global garment industry can potentially lift millions of people out of poverty by providing decent work, empowering women and driving inclusive economic growth and business competitiveness.” (Better Work, 2019).
Small choices can make big differences
Referencias:
Better Work. (2019). Our approach.
Blanchard, T., Cook, I., Ditty, S., Futerra & Hunter, L. (2019). How to be a fashion revolutionary.
Howell, M. (2013). Why good quality clothes matter.
Leblanc, R. (2018). The basics of textile recycling.
Neelis, K. (2019). What is fast fashion?
